City Building
by
Maximizing Assets
Mark Nickita, AIA, CNU, APA
President of
Archive Design Studio Architects + Urbanists
Pedestrian-Oriented Urban Districts
Existing Site
Proposed Site
Mark Nickita, AIA Dorian Moore, AIA
Kevin Borsay
Archive DS
is a team of architects
and urbanists who are
specialists in
reestablishing
downtowns, districts,
neighborhoods,
corridors, underutilized
buildings and
vacant sites
www.ArchiveDS.com
Mark Nickita, AIA, CNU, APA
A Diverse Perspective
- Architect
- Urban Designer
- Municipal Leader
Planning Board – Appointed 1997
Mayor of Birmingham – Elected 2009
- Urban Retailer
Pure Detroit / Rowland and Stella Cafes
- Developer
- Global Urban Study – over 350 cities
OVERVIEW – The Paradigm Shift
North America has undergone a significant transformation,
driven by issues of
• globalization
• economic restructuring
• technological advancements
• trends / social reconfigurations
resulting in work space and living conditions that have
dramatically changed
Understand the changes
in the marketplace that have occurred over
recent years and more specifically since the
new economic and financial condition
Where Do The Trends Lead?
People-Oriented Places
• “Places”
• Walkable Environments
• Mixed-Use, 24 Hour, 7 Days a week
Who Is Coming?
Over 150 Million Americans
• 75 Million Baby Boomers
• 80 Million Millennials
Where Are The Opportunities?
Assess existing inventory, infrastructure and assets
of buildings and land areas,
and their uses and vacancies within a block,
neighborhood, district or community
Are We Doing Things Right?
Should We Continue Current Practices?
Revenue Opportunities:
Zoning and Planning
Resulting in Increased
Tax Revenue Capture
Land Use Realities
K-Mart, Troy ------3306 Linear Feet
Northville - 3305 Linear Feet
Mackinac Island - 3600 Linear Feet
7 Mile Road and Middlebelt Road, Livonia
6923 Linear Feet – 60 Acres
Plymouth - 5948 Linear Feet
Birmingham - 6910 Linear Feet
138 Hampshire, Troy – 1808 sf Single Family Home on .31 acres
$3,716 per year
$11,897 per Acre
3100 W Big Beaver, Troy ------ 1,006,680 sf on 23.38 acres ------
$301,505 per year
$12,896 per Acre
225 Avon Road, Rochester ------200,000+ sf on 14.37 acres -------
$192,699 per year
$13,410 per Acre
$11,897 per Acre
$12,896 per Acre
$13,410 per Acre
31 E. Long Lake, Troy ------ 124,429 sf on 8.98 acres
$144,436 per year
$16,084 per Acre
Kroger, Birmingham ----- 3.8 acres ----- $237,993 per year
$62,630 per Acre
3100 W Big Beaver, Troy ---- 225,889 sf on 10.1 Acres
$310,750 per year
$30,767 per Acre
735 Forest, Birmingham ---- Retail – Office – Residential on .47 acres
$123,385 per year
$262,521 per Acre
Palladium Theater ------ 12 Screen Movie Theater on .84 Acres
$608,510 per year
$724,417 per Acre
Farmington Downtown Sector/15 acres – Tax Capture - $ 237,701 per year
Birmingham Downtown Sector/ 15 acres – Tax Capture - $ 1,308,912 per year
Farmington – Portion of Downtown District
15 acres generates $ 237,701 per year in Tax income
$ 15,847 per acre
Birmingham – Portion of Downtown District
15 acres generates $ 1,308,912 per year in Tax income
$ 87,261 per acre
Infrastructure Opportunities:
Public Space Enhancements
by Incorporating Planning and
Design Review
“Looking for Biggest BANG for the Buck”
Physical Elements that Enhance the Civic Asset
• Public Space more pedestrian
• additional crosswalk
• closer curbs - minimal distance for pedestrian in the street
• Sense of place established
• parking remains without loss
R
ReUse Opportunities:
Adaptive Re-Use of
Underutilized Buildings
and Properties Through
Creative Zoning and Visioning
Purlingbrook
Adaptive Reuse of
Underutilized Commercial and Industrial Properties
The Repositioning of Buildings and Districts
Existing Condition:
Commercial Industrial Buildings – vacated for nearly 2 years
Proposed Solution:
Urban Design Plan: Placemaking plan for a group of under-
producing structures on a highly active corridor
Architectural: Adaptive reuse design to accommodate a
variety of uses
R
Land Use Opportunities:
Identify Higher and Better Uses
of Municipal Property with
Visioning and an Eye toward
Long Term Enhancements
Oxford Civic Square
Redeveloping City Hall and Centennial Square
Are
Are
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Are
Are
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Where does this all lead……..?
Analyze the Existing Conditions
• Identify assets
• Identify opportunities
• Identify challenges
IDEAS to APPLY
• Develop concepts for existing buildings and underutilized
sites with new and innovative proposed uses
• Encourage mixed-use type developments to create a more
vibrant and interactive exchange between tenants/uses
that promotes flexibility
IDEAS to APPLY
• Create an exciting sense of place that is active and vibrant
• Encourage efficient land use policies
IDEAS to APPLY
• Design an environment that is more pedestrian and
vehicular friendly
• Create sustainable buildings for owners and communities
that are financially feasible and environmentally sensitive
• Create zoning that permits flexible uses
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS
• Create 24 hour / 7 day developments and communities
that are vibrant, exciting and desirable places
to work, play and live
• increase property values for owners
• increase the tax base for communities
Establish a Direction
• Create a vision and a strategy to achieve it
Get on the Same Page
• Leaders MUST set the path
toward implementation
Set up the Team and Process
• Design and planning
- need to oversee stages
• Engineering
• Construction
Be Resilient
“We Shall Never Surrender”
- Winston Churchill
Building
Places for People
Mark Nickita, AIA, CNU, APA
www.ArchiveDS.com
President of Archive Design Studio Architects + Urbanists
Are
Are
Are
Are
Mark Nickita, AIA Dorian Moore, AIA
Kevin Borsay
IDEAS to APPLY
• Develop concepts for existing buildings and
underutilized sites with new and
innovative proposed uses
• Encourage mixed-use type developments to create a
more vibrant and interactive exchange between
tenants/uses that promotes flexibility
Mark Nickita, AIA Dorian Moore, AIA
Kevin Borsay
IDEAS to APPLY
• Create an exciting sense of place
that is active and vibrant
• Encourage efficient land use policies
Mark Nickita, AIA Dorian Moore, AIA
Kevin Borsay
IDEAS to APPLY
• Design an environment that is more pedestrian and
vehicular friendly
• Create sustainable buildings for owners and
communities that are financially feasible and
environmentally sensitive
• Create zoning that is permits flexible uses
Mark Nickita, AIA Dorian Moore, AIA
Kevin Borsay
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS
• Create 24 hour / 7 day developments and communities
that are vibrant, exciting and desirable places to
work, play and live
• increase property values for owners
• increase the tax base for communities
2100 W Maple Road, Troy ----- 59,704 sf on 5.17 acres -------
$90,558 per year
$17,503 per Acre
1100 Rochester Road -----121,191 sf on 42.15 acres ------
- $909,048
per year
$21,567 per Acre
5053 Livernois ----- 9,056 sf on .89 acres
$19,816 per year
$22,265 per Acre